


A Decision to Return

by Abbyromana



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-03 10:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13338987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abbyromana/pseuds/Abbyromana
Summary: Donna contemplates another very important decision in her life. Has she made a mistake again?





	A Decision to Return

**Author's Note:**

> This is another transfer from my Livejournal.
> 
> This was my first Donna story. I was new with this character. Also this was written prior to series 4, so it might not fit quite right with how they actually met.

Donna Noble reclined back in the pilot’s chair, resting her hands on her coat covered lap, and gazed about the room. The warm, organic colours of the TARDIS control room lit her face; its gentle hum soothing her mixed thoughts.

This time was the second time she’d been in this expansive control room. The second time she’d sat in this chair and pondered an important decision in her life. Of course, the first time was to ponder her God awful decision to marry a man whose only demonstration of kindness towards her had been to make her coffee. That decision had been stupid and rushed. In hind sight, she knew exactly what she’d done wrong and vowed never to repeat it.

This time was different; even the type of decision was different, well sort of different. This time she was pondering her decision to return to this place.

Looking toward the console, she smiled as the messy brown hair of the Doctor bobbed in and out of view from the other side of the glowing green column. He was currently pushing levers and buttons, doing who knows what and taking them to who knows where or when. He was as much a part of this decision as her. She was pondering her decision to return to a life with this strange, alien man from a planet she had never even heard of before.

_Is it the wrong one again? Was I right the first time when he’d asked me to join him? Right to say no_.

Perhaps that decision had been right in the grand scheme of things, but it hadn’t felt right a few hours ago when they were running for their lives. Then it had felt right to hold his hand and run beside him, headfirst into danger. It was exciting and freeing to be able to yell at the top of her lungs and not care what anyone thought. It felt good to stand beside him and face the evil of the universe. She had felt like she had belonged.

_And perhaps… perhaps… it’s what he wanted too_ , she thought, craning her head to see the man in question.  _Perhaps that’s why he didn’t argue with me… why he’d just opened the door and let me walk in like it was where I belong._

Donna tilted her head back, letting her long red hair tumble over the chair’s backrest. She squinted up at the curving ceiling. A serious and contemplative expression spread over her face.

_But do I belong here?_  she thought. _Does he really want me? I have to know for_   _sure before we go anywhere or do anything else._

“Doctor?” Donna called, sliding off the pilot’s chair.

The Doctor’s head peered around the giant column, and he looked expectantly at her. “Yep,” he replied.

She slowly moved toward him, clutching her furry coat close to her. “I… ah… have a request,” she said.

A distressed look appeared over his face. “Oh, don’t tell me you want to go back already. I’ve just set the TARDIS’ temporal coordinates for a point forward in time and to reset them now…”

Donna put a hand out to cut him off. “No, no, nothing like that. You’re stuck with me for better or for worse, Martian Boy” she chuckled.

“Oh,” he said, eyeing her. “Good. So then what’s…?”

“I was wondering…” she said, hesitating to get the words out. “Why?”

His brow furrowed. “Why what?” he questioned, removing his hands from the console He moved to stand before her. Donna could now see him fully, from his rumpled brown, pin-stripped suit down to his muddy red chucks.

“Why you agreed,” she asked, “to let me… back on?”

“Oh, that,” he said as his head dipped. “Well, oh uhm… I guess I thought you deserved it.” His gaze rose, and he gave her one of his charming lop-sided smiles. “You did save my life after all. It’s the least I could, I thought I could do… and I figured you’d… you might enjoy a different sort of trip.”

One of his hands ran along the back of his neck, while his gaze averted away from her. Suddenly, his smile vanished.  He drew in a few uneven breaths as a contemplative look crossed his face.

Donna’s eye remained trained on his face as she slowly approached. She had only seen the expression twice before. Neither time had been during something good. She momentarily wished she could take back her question, but the Doctor continued:

“I owed you. The few times you have travelled with me… have been a bit rushed and, well, let’s face it, they haven’t been much in terms of sight-seeing; unless, of course, you liked seeing the creation of the Earth.” He chuckled slightly before looking up at her suddenly.

Donna froze on the spot, just less than half a meter from him. Their eyes locked and time seemed to freeze. She’d never seen eyes so deep… so caring, and longing for her presence before. He did want her here.

“Oh?” she managed to squeak out.

“And I guess I thought, well, I’ve been starting to think… perhaps everyone deserves a second chance. Don’t you agree, Donna?” he asked, his fidgeting hand returning to his side.

Donna blinked a few times before she slowly nodded in agreement. “Uh huh,” she said as a blush lit her cheeks. “Always nice.”

The Doctor beamed, “Oh, absolutely!” He gave her a nod, and she returned it. Then he went back to the TARDIS consconsol

Her head dipped as she shook it side to side. For a few moments she just stared blankly at the strange bits and bobs that made up the glowing, green console. Donna leaned her weight against it and smiled.

She suddenly knew why any girl or any person for that matter might enjoy joining the Doctor on his adventures. It would be very difficult to say no to such a warm-hearted and remarkable alien like him. She bet when his friend Rose had left, the young girl must have been in tears, completely heartbroken. Donna knew she had been days later when she thought about the opportunity she had given up.

As she realised that, Donna decided that for once she had made the right decision both then and now. Waiting had made her realise how much she’d wanted it and how good it would be. It prepared her when she got a second offer from him, and Donna was glad he had given it to her.

“Yep,” she chirped, gently tapping on the rim of the console. A gleeful smile was plastered on her face. “Second chances are always nice. Thanks for giving it to me, Doctor.”

His face appeared with a new grin. “You’re welcome. And I thanks for not slapping me again. I don’t think I could have taken another whack from that big hand of yours.” He chuckled, winking at her. Then he disappeared from her view.

Donna’s smile faded. Her brow furrowed, and her eyes narrowed. The hand that had been gently tapping the console, now tightened into a fist.

“Watch it, Martian Boy!” she growled. “Or you might just get my ‘big hand’ connecting with both sides of your pretty boy face!”

“What?!” he asked, popping back into view and giving her an alarmed look. “What did….?”

She stomped over to him and poked him twice in the chest. “You heard me!” she stated with a glare. She snorted, and then, turned on her heel before storming out of the control room and deeper into the TARDIS.

As she left, Donna could clearly hear the Doctor sighing. “Women! I’ll never understand them or their strange mood swings.”

Donna just rolled her eyes as she headed to her room. “I don’t doubt it, Martian Boy.”


End file.
